Thursday, June 18, 2009

I'm actually taking a week of vacation next week. I usually take off a day or two here and there throughout the school year, but I decided that it was time to do something more for me.

I'm not really going on vacation. It's more like a staycation: I'm staying around town. But I do have some big plans for the week.

I'm participating in a writing workshop all week. No, it's not a workshop where I'll have to come back to school and teach my teachers some new fangled writing process. And no, it's not a workshop that I needed to take any order to get those dang teacher renewal credits.

It's a writing workshop just for me! I signed up for the creative nonfiction session. I'm hoping to get inspired (once again) to get something out there in print, something written to send to a small magazine or publisher. This is actually the third time I've taken the writing workshop. I delved deeper into fiction the first time I took the workshop. The second time I decided to work on personal narrative and realized that was more my style of writing. So the third summer that I signed up for the workshop, I did the journal writing session. Every time the sessions have been fabulous.

So next week, I expect nothing less than a super week of inspired writing and a nice jump start to getting back into the swing of daily writing!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Well, it might not have really been the best day ever, but Saturday was a pretty darn good day in the neighborhood!

Our cul-de-sac gets together a number of times a year for cookouts and dinners and games. One of the neighbors loves to cook and is more than willing to supply us with a yummy meal. Of course, we all don't might chipping in with our potluck dishes, too. And it doesn't hurt that most of us love to play cards and board games, and we're all, for the most part, laid back and likable people.

This past Saturday we pooled our resources -- a dozen eggs, a couple packages of thick cut bacon, sausage, strawberries, whipped topping -- and the results were more than a delicious breakfast of strawberry crepes, biscuits with sausage gravy, and scrambled eggs -- it was a peaceful day of some really good times with friends and family.

After breakfast, the two kids played in the front yard, running up and down the driveway -- we did have to comfort some pretty scraped up knees by the end of the day -- and riding their bikes. The adults, we just lounged on the front porch, enjoying the cool breeze of the overcast morning, sharing stories and laughs and good times. By noon my husband and one neighbor and her kid had ventured back to their houses. The four us remaining whipped out the cards for a few more rounds of Pinochle -- our card game of choice these days -- while my little one dozed on the couch, watching her favorites -- Oswald, Little Bear, Max & Ruby.

It was almost 4:00 p.m. before the party broke up and we all headed back home. Who could have asked for a better day?!

Of course, at 8:00 p.m. you could have found us back on the neighbors' porch, having our version of a nightcap -- good conversation and a laugh or two with friends.